Retrospective study on the outcomes of vestibuloplasty with a xenogeneic collagen matrix.

PURPOSE: To retrospectively evaluate the effects of vestibuloplasty using a xenogeneic collagen matrix (XCM) at implant sites with insufficient peri-implant keratinized tissue (PIKT) and a shallow peri-implant vestibule (PIV). METHODS: Patients who underwent vestibuloplasty with an XCM between July 2021 and August 2023 at Kyung Hee University Dental Hospital were included. Inclusion criteria were PIKT <2 mm, PIV <4 mm at baseline, and a follow-up duration of >6 months. Clinical parameters, including PIKT and PIV, were measured at baseline and at 1 month, 6 months, and the final visit. Marginal bone level (MBL), probing depth (PD), bleeding on probing (BOP), and the modified plaque index (mPI) were recorded at the final visit. Descriptive statistical analyses were performed. RESULTS: Thirteen patients with 22 implant sites were included, with a mean follow-up of 1.19±0.27 years. Baseline PIKT and PIV were 0.59±0.57 mm and 2.66±0.81 mm, respectively. At the final visit, the mean gains in PIKT and PIV were 1.52±1.16 mm and 2.73±1.99 mm, resulting in final values of 2.11±1.01 mm and 5.39±1.85 mm, respectively. Clinical and radiographic peri-implant parameters indicated favorable conditions (PD: 2.30±0.61 mm; BOP: 0.15±0.26; mPI: 0.27; MBL: 1.23±0.97 mm). CONCLUSIONS: Vestibuloplasty using an XCM was associated with achieving clinically accepted threshold values for PIKT and PIV while maintaining favorable peri-implant conditions. Long-term follow-up is warranted.